Need Second Opinion - Hippo Tang Injury (maybe)

Just noticed tonight that my hippo tang has some sort of marks, abrasions, whatever, pretty large and pronounced on the (its) right side, lower middle abdomen. I am pretty sure it's abrasions, caused by the live rock. I am thinking this because it looks like abrasions, and this particular fish has hurt itself in the rocks on about 3 or 4 previous occasions, once seriously. It insists on sleeping as deep in the rocks as possible. But I figured it wouldn't hurt to get some other opinions, as maybe it could be some disease or something I am not familiar with. Behavior and appetite are all perfectly normal. Water is good, params as follows:

Temp: 78.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0
Nitrate: 0
Ph: 8.4

Haven't tested the others tonight, but shouldn't really concern a fish issue.

Pics:

 

yea i think it was from the rocks too.. it looks like he got stuck or something and he made an effort to exit..

 

Ouch! That looks painful! It looks like scrapes to me, but I don't know much. He needs to pick a new sleeping place! ;-)

 

They do look like abrasions but the location on the abdomen is odd for abrasions. I know what you mean with the nestling into the rocks and occasional abrasions/scars but never seen one on the abdomen.

 

as long as hes eating and acting normal he should be fine. Add some vitachem or selcon to their food for vitamins. My hippo has had much much worse abrasions than that and has come around fine.

Dennis

 

Pack my hippo gets the same type of markings on him. I have watched him bury himself in the rocks and sometimes he has to work his way out. The scrapes have never effected him that I can tell. He heals back up very quickly

 

For a precaution, you could add some slime coat product like Stress-Zyme.